St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-02-24
Vermont VS. Dakota.

Vermont Correspondence american CuItiUator.
1t is the possible future rise in the
value of land which makes young men
and men of families leave New En-
gland for the West. 1t is barely pos
sible that ordinary farm land bought
at SIS to $25 an acre in Minnesota,
Dakota or Kansas may increase in
value so as to prove a better invest
ment than purchases of land at similar
figures in the older settled state of
Vermont. One thing, however, is GER
tain. If men and women were salts
fed to live in Vermont as they expect
to do in three-quarters of the cases in
the newer Western states, there would
be opportunities in every town in Yer
mont for cheap land and abundant
prosperity.
For instance, few days since, "a
acres of pasture ,land in this vicinity
[Charlotte] with living water, sold at
S24 per acre. This land lies within
church, store and other evidences of
civilization. Not rod of the land but
can be plOwed, and the grain cut with
a Irvine binder. Notwithstanding this,
young men raised in Vermont are leav
ing this very town, going to Minnesota
paying $22 per acre for farms worth
nothing in the shape of buildings on
them, with only an apology for log
house, and perhaps u straw howell for
stock.
Suppose, for instance, that quarter
section, say 100 acres of land, in Min
nesota can be sold ten or twenty years
hence at $40 per acre. What is it go
ing to cost to erect the buildings upon
such a farm to make it command these
prices9 Suppose farmers of cheap
lands here in Vermont put up log huts,
if they cali do no better, drive an OK
team to market, mill and church, just
as they will do in the West. Now if
they will submit to these economies
here in Vermont, So can be made in
this state where fifty cents can be Sc
cured on the blizzard swept, alkali
plains of Dakota. Grumbling and
complaining never made money any
where. If a man has small means to
commence with, he must be industri-
Gus and economical. He must rigidly
adhere to living within his income.
There may be fascination in new life
in newer states, but once there, fami
lies who have known better times put
up with Inconvenience and positive
hardships that would not be thought
of in New England for a moment.
In northeastern Vermont there are
thousands of acres of first class lands,
which have been and are now being
cleared by lumbermen of their old
growth, which can be bought, with
the stumpage and small timber still
standing, for $3.50 to $3.50 per acre.
These are not mountain lands, but the
majority of them will, when subdued,
make excellent farms. But who thinks
of "roughing it" in Vermont? And
the very men who leave behind them
here whole townships unOrganized,
without a settler in them, migrate
West, to shiver, go ragged and per-
haps go hungry sometimes, in the
great "wheat belts" of Minnesota or
Dakota.
1t may seem waste of time to write
about these matters, but they suggest
facts worth serious thought. If, in our
periodical returns to old fashions in
dress and in furniture, we would re-
turn to the old days of primitive liv-
ing, and make it possible for poor
man to drive to church in his double
wagon or on his Ox-sled without being |
laughed at, we should be doing the |
country good service, because it might |
induce our young men to buy some OF
the Vermont farm lands at low prices
and live here in New England within |
their means, so that they might event |
nally pay for their farms and improve
ments.